Latest / The Elevator Careers Podcast / Elevator Company Leadership: "Make Time to Get Into the Field" | Corinne Nawrocki

Transcript

Elevator Company Leadership: "Make Time to Get Into the Field" | Corinne Nawrocki · The Elevator Careers Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Get in the field, make the time.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think there's a misconception where, oh, I don't have the time.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: Make the times, get in the field with the mechanics.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't the investment the mechanics made in me because I was curious to learn and brought value to the team.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I couldn't stress that enough.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: And also don't be afraid to challenge them, right?
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Because there are some areas where you can flourish and you will flourish, but challenge them sometimes because then it creates a healthy competitive environment where that's when that respect is not only earned, but maintained.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really what I would suggest to younger professionals in our industry.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the Allred Group.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: I am your host, Matt Allred.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we talk to the people whose lives and careers are dedicated to the vertical transportation industry to inform and share lessons learned, building upon the foundation of those who have gone before to inspire the next generation of elevator careers.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Today our guest is Corinne Naraki, CEO and founder of Able Elevator Consulting.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Corinne Naraki Transport Salescraft 450.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: With her foot electric approach, she always finds in the field and learn from the mechanics.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: This allowed her to develop her own her skills and to continue her journey, which brought her to table in May 2023.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Corinne loves the challenges of the elevator industry and is passionate about growing, innovating, and facilitating her clients and industry partners to get to the next level.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Corinne, welcome to the show.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: Good morning, Matt.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to be able to talk to you again and um obviously learn a little bit more about you, your elevator career.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I just got to ask, what set you on the path to get into the elevator industry in the first place?
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so my journey within the vertical transportation industry really started right out of college.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: I had an opportunity to attend the fall career fair at Bentley University.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: And there was this beautiful skyscraper, One World Trade Center, just blown up all over the table.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I wanted to be a part of that masterpiece.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: And really just having a background in engineering and manufacturing from my parents' aerospace business, I just felt it would be a great opportunity.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I jumped into the STEP training program to syncrupp's field operations, really learning all aspects of our business and never really looked back.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: That is awesome.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: So prior to this career fair, did you know or think or ever dream of being in the elevator industry?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: I can't say dream to be in the elevator business, but I do believe that I fell into a perfect match.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: And why I say that is the beauty of the mechanical, the electrical, the art of sales, and just really most importantly, customer experience and customer service.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: That's really what I love so much.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: So you got into the STEP program.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Where did you start working initially?
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: What was your first assignment?
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: So my journey started at Tyson Crupp Elevator in the STEP training program after the six-month graduation program.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: I had an opportunity to start as an account manager in downtown Boston.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: I was there for a year and a half.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: Then I transcended to business development manager, really focusing on bringing in new business for the local Boston branch.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: I was there at TISSEN for about three and a half years.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And then I had an opportunity to really learn the operations side of the house.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it wasn't until 2018 where I received a call to for an opportunity to take care of the MASCO medical, academic, scientific community organization consisting of three field mechanics, operations, sales.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: We had about 150 elevators combined.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really where that niche aspect of problem solving strategy really I fell in love with.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: And that opportunity grew to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and then all of downtown Boston.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I really closed my journey at Schindler with nine field mechanics and just really understanding class A office space, customer experience.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, no one calls us to say, hey, how's it going?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: Like fix my elevator.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I was there till October of 2021.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then I had an opportunity to then learn the experience of the independent market.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I worked for Stanley for about a year and a half, really fostering, nurturing the relationships for their class A clients.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: And that was a blessing.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I just knew there was something else that I could add to our industry as a whole.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: And here we are, almost May 1st, will be one year one with Able Elevator Consulting.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: What what was it that first really clicked for you?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it sounds like things, I mean, you just like you say, you never look back.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: It just kind of made sense.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I guess I'm envisioning in my own mind, you know, that you walk into this new industry and really haven't learned it yet.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: What was it that really started to kind of you where you got the momentum?
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, oh my gosh, yeah, yes, this is right.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: I I made the right choice.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: What were some of those things for you?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Really the the art of curiosity, always wanting to learn how that elevator works, what caused it to get to that point, why, you know, really the why questions is something that opened that deeper opportunity for me to really dig into what our industry is all about.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: And that project management experience for me, you know, boots on the ground, jumping out in the field with the guys, really seeing that.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I learned that I am someone who understands by seeing and showing, you know, and really showing the clients really this condition their elevators were in.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: There's a misconceived notion with what people see aesthetically inside an elevator cab, really than operationally and functionality of it are two different things.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: So that's really where it started to make sense.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: How did uh the the mechanics initially, I mean, I'm assuming you're asking them questions like why, right?
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Why is this what was kind of their initial response?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and who knows, maybe they were like, who is this lady and how do we take her?
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: What how did that go, I guess, in the early days?
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, in the beginning to of really building our team downtown Boston, you know, there was a lot of rejection up front.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what does she know about elevators?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: How is she our boss?
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: What are we gonna do?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but really, I really took it to a serving leadership approach of I'm here for you.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I know I don't know everything about elevators, but let's build this team together.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I'll show you and teach you when we're not doing well on jobs, and we'll put you in customer meetings so you can understand and hear what the clients are saying, and then really teach me different areas of the business where I could become a stronger leader.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: And that mindset and approach really is how I earned the mechanics' respect to see the vision of becoming the best service provider at that time in the marketplace.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: So it was a struggle, but yeah, yeah.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Can you give me an example or two where it really paid off, where you could kind of see the light bulb going off, or maybe just building trust because it's it's kind of this amorphous thing.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: And yet once you build it, it's like rock solid.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, one of the most rewarding experiences that I'll never forget in my career was we were at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston right before Thanksgiving, and we were doing our annual inspection with the Department of Public Safety.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I received a call from the on-site mechanic, hey, Corinne, this car is going to get placarded.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: And at that point, it's not, it is, it's it's not going to, right?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: So it was my responsibility as the leader of the team to really rise above any obstacles, any noise that was really the deterrent from focusing on finishing the mission of getting an elevator, not placarded, and having value and respect of receiving zero violations from the state.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: So, what we had done as a team was we met and really discussed what that vision was.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I'll never forget, I was standing in the lobby, and our foreman, our repair team all came up with all of their tools and the proper mindset, really, to make sure that we got this elevator back in service because it wasn't just a passenger elevator.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Freight elevators are the bloodline of these beautiful buildings here in Boston, outside the city, and wherever we travel to.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a different type of demand.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's a hospital environment, it's critical, it's high demand, and most importantly, it's constantly being used.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: So with those additional obstacles, we made sure that the whole vision was get this car running before you leave.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: And 10:30 at night, I got a text where we had to think differently.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: We had to use some parts at some adjacent buildings to pay Peter to pay Paul to really solve that problem.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where I was really the guide on that trail to make sure that we executed and delivered the best level of service.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what we did as a team.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that's really one of the most memorable experiences as an elevator industry leader, where I really saw the breakthrough happen.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's what's helped me become and be the person I am today in the street.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: What what was the um kind of going forward?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds like uh, you know, as a team, you had this this crisis, as it were.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: We got to get this done, we're not leaving until we do.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um how how did the uh I guess the you know, the team respond uh after that?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe maybe you had built some trust, but it sounds like the trust really went through the roof at that point.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, really.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: We just kept growing, right?
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: I would use our safety meetings as an opportunity to just really get to know my mechanics on a professional personal level to really understand what they wanted to achieve too, because there's a little bit of a misconception associated with, oh, this is where we're going, but it's really getting the field personnel's buy-in to really create that vision, to get to that next level, to be the best in the trade.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: And then most importantly, retaining that talent.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: So really just having those key touch points and understanding when some of my mechanics were a little bit off, or there were other situations that they were dealing with, to really tap into that.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really what women with a little bit more of a nurturing mindset bring to our trade in addition to perspective.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome too.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, obviously getting to know your your people and and not just um not just their skills.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: But like you say, if if things aren't going well at home, well then they're not gonna be going well here.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so being able to empathize a little bit and just understand you know what what they're dealing with is is huge.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: How I I'm just curious, how big of a uh factor is it to uh to gain the the trust of your mechanics in in your success, in other words?
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so not everyone, not all my mechanics trusted me, right?
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think it all comes down based on action, right?
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: So when you say you're gonna do something, do it.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that was really where I continually worked every day.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: If that meant picking up motor generator shops at the at the local local shop 30 minutes away, being on site at 6:30 in the morning, you know, getting the registrations in on time, you know, every element of that customer experience for my field mechanics was just as important to me as their leader to make sure that I made their jobs easier.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: In addition to walking into that job, that project with a clearer head with safety at the forefront, with all those distractions.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we need to mitigate that as much as we can to ensure there's a sh a seamless transition.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: What would you say are some of the biggest challenges you faced um throughout your career?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's always going to be challenges.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: The biggest challenge I would say is just knowing that yes, there might be a barrier in front of you or an obstacle that may seem so hard to navigate, but just taking a step back of just slowing things down.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'll never forget some of the mechanics were like, slow down, gunpowder.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and I never really understand some of those lines of wisdom.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Gunpowder.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: You know, never really understand some of those words of wisdom that I learned along the way through the field mechanics.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: And looking back on that, it's just it's helped me build this business.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: And in terms of able elevator consulting, from a little bit of a more calmer approach, because sometimes when we act a little bit more too forceful with situations, you know, sometimes a cleaner perspective or a 20-minute break just to really look at everything, because what I learned most in this elevator industry is if we touch one thing, it can essentially impact everything else.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the game operation, you know, and just taking a couple minutes to slow down, or even just saying, let's regroup tomorrow, I think has been the biggest piece of advice I've learned through the obstacles I've had to overcome.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Cool, cool.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, tell me a little bit about um, you know, you you mentioned, you know, working through, you know, different companies, uh large ones and and independence.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then you said there was a little bit more that you could bring to the consulting side.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me about that and your your motivation to create uh a consulting firm.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I know there's a lot of questions in there.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: No, I mean that we're we're having our conversation.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: I I'm thoroughly enjoying this.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's I really do look at elevators through the lens of an art.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, because here we are in challenging times, the commercial real estate industry, the residential industry, right?
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, let's just focus, really dial in on the commercial real estate industry.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: We have about three to four days to really touch the patient, the tenant, the leadership, the executive leadership of why they need to retain these leases in these buildings.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: And it really comes down to that experience of the elevators, you know, and seeing everyone's fear as just listening to the riding public, sitting in lobbies, you know, discussing with people why they are scared of elevators.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: That's really where I really want to break through this glass ceiling of transcending the mindset of creating an experience that's memorable.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that really goes back to Abel's vision of touching the lives of people each and every day through vertical transportation.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: Because we have two touch points at minimum to really make a difference every day as they walk into the elevator lobby, get in on the elevator lobby, and then on their way home.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: So that's really where, as a trade, as an industry, where I see an opportunity for us to make it even more impactful.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: And thinking beyond the four elevator cab walls, I'm I'm going deeper to the five human senses, right?
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: What does it feel like?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: What is the ambiance?
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're putting different scents and odors in elevator cabs.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's so many elements we can make it so memorable, where we can reduce the fear associated and have people coming back, most importantly, having them rent and occupy their buildings at 100%.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: And it's gonna be through vertical transportation.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's it's almost, I mean, kind of what I'm hearing you describe is you know, the I guess the difference between, you know, just you know, I don't know, riding riding in coach or writing in first class, right?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: If we can make this a first class uh elevator experience, well then that's gonna be better than riding in the very back of the of the plane.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so um being able to, like you say, help help people have that experience with a quality ride, but also you know, what is the entire experience?
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um those are things I I really hadn't thought that much of.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: But uh obviously you're you're doing it right now.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're helping people think think more broadly about what is this about.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: And the experience doesn't just you know stop with the riding public, right?
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: That experience is from all elements of our business, from the mechanics in the field to the office personnel, that whole relationship of synergy has to be all running at the same frequency.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what's going to redefine the negative misperceptions associated with our trade at times.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because if we all see that art of an experience, that buy-in's going to be just easier and easier and easier as every client starts to understand and feel that it is class A.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_01: Because we do have a class A business and we need to maintain that, be with the craftsmanship and the way in which elevators and buildings are being built.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: How do we just maybe refocus and just gain back that infrastructure that we've never lost?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: Just put a little building blocks on it.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, that's fascinating.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um lot lots to to think through because I guess, you know, and honestly, I don't know the the difference between what we would call, you know, a class A building versus a non-class A building, but it but to your point, it it sounds like you're saying, well, this is a class A um industry overall.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, uh that elevator is is class A.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um and we you know we can show up and we can create that opp that experience for for people so that they're they're not afraid, so they want to be there, that they feel comfortable, and um obviously uh have an impact on uh you know cities overall, I guess.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean and and part of what you were saying a minute ago is a little maybe you can clarify it for me.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: You were saying so they'll sign their leases.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: Are you seeing you know certain people that don't want to sign their leases or or maybe aren't uh you know wanting to renew that and talk a little bit more about that if you can for me.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so what what the commercial real estate industry is facing as an obstacle is really a lot of people are downsizing their existing space.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: So it's creating a lot of vacancies, but that's really where we have to capitalize and really use this as an opportunity to strategize and get ahead of it, right?
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: Because realistically, from a macro perspective, we look at different areas of the world.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we don't have enough land to go around, so we're going to be living in vertical cities.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's just a matter of time and change is difficult.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: But if we can start right now back at the foundations of our trade of customer service, preventative maintenance, proactive philosophy, just those three core components.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: When that chapter is ready to open and we're going to be a part of it, we're already ahead of it where we can then re innovate where we're going next.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's cool.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's cool.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: And and yeah, to your point, I mean, it seems like the the build.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: The cities are getting taller, right?
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: And and maybe it's 'cause uh you know, I live in the Atlanta area and and the the sprawl is uh sometimes it's just so much to commute.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's like you know, if you want to live in this city, then you know, you need to be closer to the city and and that might mean living in a tall building.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: And um, so it'll be interesting, I guess, with what you're saying.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds like maybe certain companies, hey, we don't need this much office space, we're gonna send people to their homes.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: And and I know that's been a trend ever since, especially especially since COVID when uh people are working from home.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: But I know a lot of companies are trying to get their people back in.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I guess they're uh kind of wrestling with, you know, should we even keep this lease or or what do we do with this?
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that will be interesting to see, and who knows, maybe they'll make mixed use out of it.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're this high rise has you know uh apartments now instead of uh corporate offices or or whatever.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: But uh who knows.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um what would you say is the uh the biggest success factor in the work that you do as a consultant?
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: Number one is just understanding and learning more about your client and what they're looking to achieve and not just short-term achievements for their buildings long term, right?
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: So we really digest their existing pain points of what they're dealing with and then restrategize and figure out what is the best plan through customer service, strategy, and most importantly, execution.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Those are the key three factors to building those sustained partnerships.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm guessing, you know, just having not been a consultant, but just kind of looking at the role you're in, it seems like you kind of walk a very fine line between here's the contractors, here's the here's my customers.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what what are some of the challenges, some of the pushes and pulls and tugs that you you feel in that position?
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, really, I believe that we do face, you know, the challenge with the clients sometimes when they're frustrated and the contractors, but it's really during those difficult situations where I take that opportunity to rise and create value for the contractors because that trust is from the client to the consultant, and and they rely on us for expertise and knowledge, but it's the partnership we wouldn't be able to execute on that without the contractors.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: So this three-tier system has to be so aligned where in the beginning it does take time to build trust and effective communication and really bring value, but we're the ones that are assisting getting these, you know, six-figure proposals through the finish line for the contractors.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: So there is a great opportunity for the consultants to capitalize on redefining the partnership between the client, the elevator contractor, and the elevator consultant.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: We can't forget about the state either here in Massachusetts.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: That's another layer of fun.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so what what do you love most about your role as a consultant?
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: I love the problem solving.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I love to look at different problems that we're having and really bring the solution and bring it full circle.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_01: That's most rewarding for me.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: Where do you see, you know, next five, 10 years, what would you envision that you are able to accomplish or create?
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, what's the what do you see down the road?
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: The next five to ten years, we're gonna be creating a one-house platform for our clients, right?
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: Where we're taking these frustrations and obstacles that we're facing and creating a short story or memoir on the success, right?
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_01: I've always been an optimistic person.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: I will always continue to be.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that this industry has so many areas to thrive, succeed, excel, innovate.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: And having that one platform for the customer will allow them to capitalize on infrastructure, right?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because we do face problems where contractors are constantly changing two to three years, you know.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: But that comes back to the core root of our trade, which is preventative maintenance and customer service.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_01: Along the lines of our clients here in our trade, it's that experience.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: So with that data and that platform, that's what's going to better add a layer of stability for the client.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's beautiful.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's beautiful.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: I love your I love your vision.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: I love, you know, kind of where you're where you're going with it.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I I just have to ask, though, um what I mean, obviously it's a it's a male-dominated industry.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: Do you ever feel any pushback that, hey, you know, maybe you're whatever, you know, people think you're pushing too hard, or or you know, do you ever feel a sense of, you know, maybe like I say, pushback that you're a woman in this space?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I know I'm assertive.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I I use that as an opportunity, as my strength.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: And you have to be in this trade, you know, being soft is unfortunately not going to get you to that next opportunity and having thick skin and understanding that we have to do respect that balance, right?
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: But it has been a blessing to see more women enter this trade from the field side, from the office side, you know, and hopefully transcending more on the operational side because that perspective is so valuable for the whole industry.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what we could do better.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: And and I agree.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, and especially as I hear you talk about um, you know, the the entire experience of elevator, you know, vertical transportation.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it it just makes me think that uh, you know, certainly there are perspectives that that I don't see.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think my wife might might get it.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, that that there are different gifts that you bring to to the industry, to the experience, to to the entire um, you know, to to the work that you do.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: So um what would you what would you say is the most valuable thing that you've learned in your career?
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: The most valuable piece of wisdom and what I've learned from a child from being a child is do what you say you're gonna do, follow through.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: And and that's not just professionally, that's here in life.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: And and that's really what I've learned.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if you say you're gonna call someone at seven o'clock, call them.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: You say you're gonna be on the job site.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: Time is so valuable.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: We don't get that back.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: We only get 24 hours in a day, and and respecting other people's time is just as important in addition to those commitments.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: I kind of added two parts there for you, Matt.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it and it sounds like I mean it sounds like you learned that early, but that it really became you know, became super valuable.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you even, you know, I I guess just really drove it home in this industry and and just, you know, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna say I'm gonna do.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then when you do it, you see the results, you see people respond, you see, you know, that your credibility and the the trust goes up.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's like, okay, yeah, I I learned it, but now I I know it even more.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's kind of what I'm hearing.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, what would you say to somebody who's kind of like you?
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're just finishing up college and going to a a career fair and trying to decide should I get into this industry or not?
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe they hit maybe they've just started.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_00: But what advice would you give?
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: There was one piece of advice I received from Jim McCabe, who hired me into this industry at the career fair, and it really settled in the next day.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: And what he communicated to me was during the recession of 2008, 2009, everybody in the vertical transportation industry had a job.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_01: And and that really solidified the worry piece of, you know, because jobs turn quite frequently, and they have these new high-tech jobs where it's very flashy.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, you can redefine your personality in any trade, but be cognizant that some trades aren't always going to be there.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: And this boots on the ground, we need to speak about this.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: There are so many opportunities in the trades where I think we should bring them to college career fairs and expose the pathways you could take.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think it's a little bit short-sighted, from my opinion.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: So um we're kind of getting close to our time here, but I mean, as we wrap up, what is there any other, you know, wisdom you'd like to share or any anything that you feel strongly or passionately about?
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, for the younger men and women in our in our trade that are looking to excel on that fast track, I couldn't stress it enough.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: Get in the field, make the time.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think there's a misconception where, oh, I don't have the time.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: Make the times, get in the field with the mechanics.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't the investment the mechanics made in me because I was curious to learn and brought value to the team.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I couldn't stress that enough.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_01: And also don't be afraid to challenge them, right?
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because there are some areas where you can flourish and you will flourish, but challenge them sometimes because then it creates a healthy, competitive environment where that's when that respect is not only earned but maintained.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really what I would suggest to younger professionals in our industry.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: And in terms of seasoned professionals in our trade, it's being open to change, being open to new perspectives, because our business is more digital than we even probably would have thunk in terms of our controllers changing, in terms of the digitization with apps and customer interfacing.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_01: So we have to be open to other perspectives and other elements to not only redefine but innovate to the next level as an industry.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_00: Very good.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_00: What what um what do you tell people when they ask you about able elevator consulting?
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: What do I tell people?
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we are a firm that specializes in looking at the art of the vertical asset through the lens of the five human incenses with the knowledge and expertise of studying the callback history and learning the trends of the elevator.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_01: And most importantly, creating and executing a plan where we're going to maximize the return on investment of the system.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: And then we can take it through the next phase and the next cycle of that living asset.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: And we make sure we tell our clients elevate your assets with ABL.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's perfect.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's perfect.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, Corinne, thank you so much for being with me today.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate your time.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate you being on here.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Matt.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_01: This was so much fun.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for this opportunity.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very blessed.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: And good luck to you as you continue to build your business.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: We'll stay in touch.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the All Red Group, a leader in elevator industry recruiting.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: You can check us out online at elevatorcareers.net.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_00: Please subscribe, and until next time, stay safe.